Brenda Tracy's attorney says her identity was leaked to media by "outside party"
(CBS DETROIT) - An attorney for Brenda Tracy, a woman who accused suspended Michigan State coach Mel Tucker of sexual harassment, says her client had no intentions of releasing her identity.
In a statement on Tuesday, attorney Karen Truszkowski says Tracy's identity was leaked to the media by an "outside party."
"She was and continues to be committed to complying with and concluding the MSU internal investigation process. She respected the process and chose not to go to the media to preserve the integrity of the process," Truszkowski said. "After the investigation process was completed, we would have determined what, if any, further steps to take. Instead, her identity was disclosed without her knowledge or consent, warranting express actions to protect her. Her choice to allow this process to proceed privately was taken away. Let me be patently clear: Brenda Tracy had no intention of disclosing anything publicly until someone else violated her right to confidentiality."
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Tucker, a third-year head football coach at MSU, is accused of sexually harassing Tracy, an activist and rape survivor, during a phone call last year.
The allegation became public in a USA Today report over the weekend, leading to the university announcing less than 24 hours later that Tucker was suspended. According to the report, Tracy became friends with Tucker over her advocacy work, but the relationship took a turn in April 2022 when Tucker allegedly masturbated during the phone call.
A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 5-6 to determine if Tucker violated the school's sexual harassment and exploitation policy, the USA Today reported.
On Monday, Tucker released a statement saying the allegation is "completely false."
"The proceedings initiated by Ms. Tracy are devoid of any semblance of fairness for any matter of this importance, and the University's "hearing" scheduled for October 5-6 is so flawed that there is no other opportunity for the truth to come out. That is why I share some truth with you now," Tucker said.
In response, Tracy accused Tucker of "delaying and trying to stop the investigative process since the beginning."
"This is just more of the same DARVO, deflection, victim blaming and lies that I've been dealing with now for months," Tracy posted on X, formally Twitter.
"He can't afford to go to a hearing that determines credibility of the participating parties. I believe this statement is his way of getting out of participating in the hearing. October 5th and 6th, I will be present for the hearing and make myself available for cross-examination by his attorney Jennifer Belveal. I invite him to do the same."
